A Valuable Story on Managing Stress

A reader sent the following story and humorous sayings.

A lecturer, when explaining stress management to an audience, raised a glass of water and asked, “How heavy is this glass of water?”

Answers ranged from 8 ounces to 20 ounces.

“The absolute weight doesn't matter,” the lecturer replied. “It depends on how long you try to hold it."

"If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance.”

“In each case it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes. And that's the way it is with stress management.”

“If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won't be able to carry on,” he added.

“As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again. When you’re refreshed, you can carry on with the burden.”

So, before you return home tonight, put the burden of work or life down. Don't carry it home. You can pick it up tomorrow.

Whatever burdens you're carrying now, let them down for a moment if you can. Relax. Pick them up later after you've rested.

And now, a dose of humor:

• Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them.

• If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague.

• If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it.

• Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you won't have a leg to stand on.

• Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance.

• Since it's the early worm that gets eaten by the bird, sleep late.

• When everything's coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.

• Birthdays are good for you. The more you have, the longer you live.

• You may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the world to one person.

• A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.

I hope you enjoyed this column. A valuable learning experience along with a hearty chuckle is good for your health.